Grid type weft detector tip



Aug. 4, 1936 '0. v. PAYNE GRID TYPE WEFT DETECTOR TIP y Filed July 50, 1954 gnuentov @Scam V- Paghe,

Patented Aug. 4, 1936 PATENT OFFICE 2,049,590 GRID TYPE WEET DETECTOR TIPv Oscar V. Payne, Leicester, Mass., assigner to Crompton & Knowles Loom Works, Worcester, Mass., a corporation of Massachusetts Application July'r30, 1934, Serial No. 737,488

9 Claims.

This invention relates to weft detectors for loomsand it is the general object of the invention to provide an improved tip for a detector more particularly though not necessarily ofthe side slipping type. p

It not infrequently happens that as a kshuttle is boxed it will come to rest above the box plate,

especially if the greater part of the warp threads are raised due tothe demand of the pattern 10 .so that the lower shed is higher thanusual. It

also happens that the clips or spindles for the weft carriers, such as bobbins or quills, will notl always hold the carrier in a position truly axial with respect to the shuttle and as a result the lliv surface to be detected may be either below or `aboveits normal position. In either case the carrier will not strike the central part of the detector tip but will engage either the top or bottom of the teeth of the feeler. Detector tips as heretofore made with straight teeth have not been able to accommodate themselves to this condition and it is an important object of my invention to have the teeth of a wire bent in such a' way that if the top or the bottom ofthe tip L Vtshould'strike the foremost Vor central part Yof the bobbin or quill the teeth will bend in such a direction as to move their straight parts into tangential and correct detecting relation with respect to vthe coils of yarn wound on the car- 301 Tier.' The'teeth are found to bend in substantially vertical planes, the top part bending rearwardly when the'carrier is :low and the bottom ziar bending rearwardly when the carrier is g 3'5'1 `It is a further object of the invention to bend the wire in such a form that a relatively large portion thereof will be used for detecting purposes.v This result I achieve by bending the wire so that the teeth will lie along a vertical surface, ysuch as acylinder or plane with adjacent bends forming the teeth to engage the 'yarn and with the curved parts of the wire connecting the teeth formingv a relatively small part ofthe totalwlength of thewire used.

When a detector tip is formedV as already described it is desirable to make some provision against entanglement of the weft thread with the teeth andthis result I accomplish by4 prol viding a tip` with a rearwardly and upwardly eX- tending surface, guard arms preferably integral with and extending forwardly from the teeth, and so arranged relatively to the teeth as to deflect'a threadalong a path which will lie over the ,tops of the teeth. f

The guards which deflect the thread may preferably be made of sufcient length and so shaped as to provide a resilience between the detector teeth and the arm to which the Wire is secured. I find that the resilience of the arms permits a certain yielding vforwardly of the detector teeth 5 relatively to the detector arm and also permits a slight relative motion of ther detector teeth `and arm in a direction parallel to the surface being detected.

With these and other objects in view vwhich 10 will appear as the description proceeds, my invention resides in the combination and arrange-v ment of parts hereinafter described and set forth in the claims. f

In the accompanying drawing wherein a con- 15 venient embodiment of my invention is set forth,

Fig. 1 is a plan view showing a detector having my improved tip applied thereto,

, Fig. 2 is a'detail side elevation on an enlarged scale in the direction of arrow 2, Fig. 1, showing 20 the relation of the guard arms with respect to a weft thread lying over the tip,

Fig.` 3'is .a rear elevation in the direction of arrow 3, Fig. 2,

Fig. 4 is a plan view on an enlarged scale of V25 a tip -made of fine wire just prior to engagement thereof by the surface to be detected,

Fig. 5 is a view similar to Fig. 4 after the engagement of the weft,

Fig. 6 is a plan View of the wire before and 3o after being bent for application to the detector arm,

Fig. 7 shows an apparatus for forming the tip, and

Figs. 8, 9 and l10 are diagrammatic views show- 35 ing the operation of the detector under different positions of the bobbin being detected.

Referring to Fig. 1, a bracket 20 supported in any approved manner by the loom frame not shown has mounted thereon the detector 2| held 40 in adjusted position by a bolt22. A slide 23 movable in the casing of the feeler has pivoted thereto as at 24 a feeler finger 25. The forward end of the latter has an indicating tail 26.to engage and move to the left as viewed 1n Fig. 1 a trip 21. 45 The latter moves about a fixed stud 28 and normally clears a periodically downwardly moving actuator lever one end of which is indicated at 29. So long as weft is present the detector and slide move forwardly against the action of a coil 50 spring 30 within the housing without angular movement, the trip remaining out' of the path of the lever 29, but when an indication of weft exhaustion is given the tail 26 moves to the left, thereby throwing the trip 21 into the path ofthe 55 lever 29 and interrupting downward motion of y the latter to bring about a change in loom operation.

For a further understanding of the parts already described and their connection with the loom reference may be had to my prior Patent No. 1,738,198.

My present invention relates more particularly to the feeler tip T which is carried at the rearV end of the nger 25 and is positioned for engagement with the surface to be detected indicated at B. The detector comprises essentially a rear gridshaped portion G formed of wire and integral with two spaced forwardly extending arms 50. The

grid as shown in Fig. 3 may comprise a plurality` of inner vertical substantially parallel detector teeth, sections or strands 4l connected at their tops and bottoms by curved portions 42. The end teeth 43 may extend above the inner for inter-- mediate teeth and have curved portions 44 which lie at a substantial distance above the tops of the upper curves 42. The arms 40 which are integral with these upper curves 44 extend.A forwardly and downwardly as indicated inFigs. 2 and 3 to have holding relation with the nger 25." The'latter may if desired be drilled to receive the extreme forward ends of the arm 40.

The manner of forming the detector is set forth in Fig. 7 where a plate 50 is indicated as having upper and lower parallel rows of perforations 5! and 52, respectively, the lower perforations being staggered and intermediate the perforations of the upper row. A plurality of pegs 53` are-used in forming the detector. Two upper holes 54, one at each end of and above the lupper row 5l, are provided for the end teeth. In thebeginning of the formation two guide pegs l53 are used, one in upper left hole 54 and one in the `lower Vleft hole 52. A strand of wire is then placed between these two pegs with the upper end sufficiently long to form one of the arms 4U, after which the other end is `bent up to the right of the lower peg and another peg 53 is placed in the top left hole 5I. The wire is then bent down and -another peg placed inthe next hole 52.' The operation is continued until the grid is formed and has substantially the form shown in Fig. 3. The free ends which are to become the arms arev bent horizontally, the last bend being over a peg inthe right hole 54. The arms 45 arethen twisted so as to assumelthe position suggested in full lines in Fig. 6, the forward ends of the arms being crimped as at 55. 'Ihe ends 55 are then applied to the finger 25, after which the wire will assumeA the dotted line position shown in'Fig. 6,' where it' will be seen, as is also the case in Figs. 4 and 5, that the arms 40 are'bowed 'outwardly' somewhat with respect tothe central part of the detector tip, all three sides being concave from a pointY within the triangle thus formed;'

In use when the bobbin B is correctly positioned as in position I, Fig. 8, the forward thrust of the bobbin is substantially central with regard to the grid surface and will be transmitted by arms v45 to the detector finger 25. Under these conditions the teeth or strands 4l will remain substantially vertical and will penetrate a sufficient supply of weft to be held against lateral movement. in a right hand direction as viewed in Fig. l. When weft is absent, however, the teeth 45 will slide along the exhausted bobbin to give indication,- as already described.

Should the bobbin be low as in position II, Fig. 9, the lower part of the teeth and the lower curved parts 42 joining them will be struck by the bob bin and bent so that the upper parts of the teeth are deflected rearwardly. The effect of this action is to swing the teeth into tangential relation with the weft surface and effect correct engagement between the teeth and the yarn. The teeth 5 themselves move as a. whole in vertical planes during this operation and the resilient arms 45 may ex slightly upwardly toA permit the teeth to assume the position shown in Fig. 9.

If, on the other hand, the bobbin should be 10 highV the detector will assume the position shown in Fig. l0 at position III, the lower parts of the teeth being deflected rearwardly so as to have improved engaging relation with respect to the yarn.

While I have described certain resilient features of my detector, yet where the conditions require the use of a heavier wire, some of these conditions of resilience will not exist. The deflection of the normally rearwardly bowed var- 20 rangement of the teeth from the position in Fig, 4 to that in Fig.' 5, for instance will be dependent upon the relative strength of spring 30' an'd that of the grid detector surface. When the wire of which the detector tip is made is quite small and 25 the spring 30 is relatively heavy vthe teeth mayassume the position indicated in Fig.y 5, butwh'ere the wire is relatively strong to present increased wearing surface and the spring 30 is relative weak the teeth will retain their curved form during the 310i detecting operation, as indicated in Fig.v 1.

The bending of the grid stiffens the central o1' weft engaging parts of the wire and any flexing due to impact with the weft will cause more def'- ormation of the arms 40 than of the surface 35.' along which the teeth lie. The arms'40 are long relatively to the teeth and bends 42'and being almost straight, are not as stiffV inherently as the detecting part of the wire.

As suggested in Fig. 2,' the arms 40 incline 4Q;-

wardly and rearwardly, terminating at points above the topsof the intermediate detector teeth. By this construction a weft thread IW which may be left after a transferringoperation of theloom, will slide over the detector .teeth without be- 45; coming entangled with the latter." v a v- AFrom the foregoing it will be seenl that I have provided a simple form of detector tip formed of a single piece of wire bent to-substantial grid form to present smooth hard Wear Yresisting de- 50; tector teeth whichvare preferably parallelxand connected 4together Vby curved portionsf42 .which do not interfere with detecting operations. 'Ihe teeth lie in a surface normally cylindrical or planate resulting from the: Wavyiform of 'the 5:5. wire. It will further be seen that even-though the shuttle be misplacedthedetectorteeth will ex totake on the forms indicated either in Fig.

9 or l0 so as to improve the detecting relation between the teeth and the yarn. It willalso be 60 noted that a comparatively-large part of thewire lying between the end teethv43 is of` sinuous form and capable of` presenting a large detectingv surface to the bobbin.` Also the arms `40 ,are inclined upwardly as suggested in Fig. 2 sothat the weft ,55 thread W which may happen to fall there-across will be deflected along a path which is above the tops of the detector teeth. Furthermore, when the tip is made of .a wire of a certain size the arms 40 are resilient. and will flex to relieve .slight 70 strains which would otherwisegbe transmitted to the feeler finger. While the teeth are preferably parallel,yet they need not necessarily have this relation. Y 'L' VHaving thus Vdescribed my invention it lwillbe g5 seen that changes and modifications may be made therein by those skilled in the art without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention and I do not wish to be limited to the details herein disclosed, but what I claim is:

1. A feeler tip formed of a plurality of vertical straight weft engaging teeth yieldable in vertical planes substantially perpendicular to the surface of a weft carrier being detected and capable of yielding movement into detecting relation with a vertically misplaced weft carrier.

2. A feeler tip formed of a plurality of straight resilient detecting teeth normally vertical to engage a correctly placed weft carrier and yieldable in vertical planes substantially perpendicular to the surface of a vertically misplaced weft carrier being detected to lie tangent to and in detecting relation with said surface of the misplaced weft carrier.

3. A feeler tip formed of a plurality of straight Wire teeth normally vertical to detect a correctly placed weft carrier and yieldable in vertical planes perpendicular to the surface of a vertically misplaced weft carrier to assume a position tangential to and in detecting relation with said surface of the vertically misplaced weft carrier.

4. A feeler tip comprising a plurality of sub-y stantially straight resilient Wire teeth normally vertical to have the central portions thereof strike and detect a correctly placed weft carrier and capable of yielding in vertical planes perpendicular to the surface of a vertically misplaced weft carrier to assume positions tangential to said surface of the vertically misplaced weft carrier and inclined relatively to the normal vertical position of said wire teeth.

5. A feeler tip to be brought into detecting relation with a weft carrier by relative movement with respect to said carrier, said tip having a straight yielding detecting surface normally substantially perpendicular to the plane of relative motion between the tip and weft carrier, and engaging a correctly placed weft carrier at intermediate points of said tip, the detecting sur- 5 of a single piece of Wire and connected by bent portions ofthe Wire, said teeth and bent por- 15 tions lying in a surface extending in a direction along the surface to be detected..

7. In a tip for a feeler finger, a wire, a plurality of substantially vertical spaced feeler teeth formed as part of and integral with the wire, and 20 curved parts of the wire joining the teeth, said curved parts extending in a direction along the surface being detected.

8. A tip for a side slipping feeler finger formed of a Wire having straight parallel spaced vertical 25 sections connected together by bent portions, the sections and portions lying in a vertical surface extending along the surface to be detected.

9. In a tip for a feeler finger, a wire having the intermediate parts thereof formed with substan- 30 tially vertical relatively short detector teeth and said wire having relatively long detector teeth lying on each side of and extending above the OSCAR V. PAYNE. 

